Antioxidant capacity in different organs of Hawthorn various species (Crataegus spp.)

Recently, due to healthier and nutritional problems of synthetic antioxidants in food processing, using of herbal medicine and its effective components as a natural resources with antioxidant properties have beenevaluated. Different organs of Hawthorn have more important in food and medicinal science due to high antioxidant properties and various flavonoids and proanthocyanin content. This study was accomplished in order to examine the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of hawthorn different organs (fruit, leaves and flower) in 56 accessions. Antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content were determined using ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Folin–Ciocalteu assays. The amount of total phenolics was significantly (P<0.05) different in the both amongst species and different plant organs ranging from 7.21 to 87.73 mg GAE/g dry weight. Total phenolic content was in its highest value in the flowers of G7 (87.73 mg GAE/g DW), whereas the lowest level was found in the flowers of G4 (7.21 mg GAE/g DW). The Antioxidant capacity was widely different in the both species and different organs of the individuals ranging from 0.22 to 1.84 mmol Fe ++/g DW. Antioxidant capacity was in its highest values in the fruits of G1 (1.84 mmol Fe 2+/g DW), whereas the lowest capacity was found in the leaves of G18 (0.22 mmol Fe 2+/g DW). However, differentorgans and species of the genus Crataegus showed a high level of total phenolic content as well as antioxidant capacity.These results showed that different species of Crataegusespecially C. pseudomelanocarpa and C. pentagynaare promising sources of natural antioxidants and other bioactive compounds beneficial without any harmful effects to be used in the food or the pharmaceutical industries.